4883/Support Activities for Water Transportation
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
101K
employees, 2023
101K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 2,635 US Support Activities for Water Transportation business locations employed 101,459 people and paid $9.0 billion in annual payroll, $88,635 per employee on average. Employment was down 1.9% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
2,635
+0.7% vs 2022
Employees
101,459
-1.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$9.0B
+1.6% vs 2022
Average pay
$88,635
+3.6% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Support Activities for Water Transportation in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 194 | 22,383* | $127,807 | 0.14% |
| Florida | 538 | 10,471 | $46,266 | 0.10% |
| Texas | 293 | 10,150 | $61,779 | 0.08% |
| Louisiana | 324 | 9,664 | $83,617 | 0.57% |
| Georgia | 43 | 6,319 | $48,786 | 0.14% |
| New Jersey | 99 | 5,946 | $154,903 | 0.15% |
| Washington | 144 | 5,871 | $110,663 | 0.19% |
| Maryland | 60 | 4,363 | $70,782 | 0.18% |
| Virginia | 73 | 4,195* | $83,220 | 0.12% |
| South Carolina | 36 | 3,937 | $49,495 | 0.19% |
| New York | 83 | 2,182 | $96,222 | 0.02% |
| Pennsylvania | 40 | 2,071 | $60,262 | 0.04% |
| Alabama | 53 | 1,795 | $70,667 | 0.10% |
| Oregon | 32 | 1,382 | $72,087 | 0.08% |
| Delaware | 15 | 1,124* | $56,376 | 0.25% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 42.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Support Activities for Water Transportation employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 147 | 7,125 | $151,467 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 176 | 5,907 | $74,374 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 267 | 5,658* | $41,496 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 166 | 5,329 | $85,413 |
| Savannah, GA | 28 | 5,201 | $54,481 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 54 | 4,341 | $70,786 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 66 | 3,901* | $83,939 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 32 | 3,881 | $49,695 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 52 | 3,611 | $55,552 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 60 | 2,777 | $38,159 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 83 | 2,483 | $125,398 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 41 | 2,015 | $69,806 |
| Mobile, AL | 39 | 1,594 | $72,448 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 31 | 1,444 | $128,610 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 28 | 1,393 | $73,487 |
Business size
US Support Activities for Water Transportation business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 1,427 | 54.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 366 | 13.9% |
| 10 to 19 | 297 | 11.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 269 | 10.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 114 | 4.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 97 | 3.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 35 | 1.3% |
| 500 to 999 | 20 | 0.8% |
| 1,000 or more | 10 | 0.4% |
Related industries
Support Activities for Water Transportation and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Transportation and Warehousing 48-49Support Activities for Transportation 488
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48832 | Marine Cargo Handling | 66,890 | $90,025 |
| 48831 | Port and Harbor Operations | 13,933 | $76,503 |
| 48833 | Navigational Services to Shipping | 12,850 | $98,763 |
| 48839 | Other Support Activities for Water Transportation | 7,786 | $81,691 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Support Activities for Water Transportation in the US?
101,459 people worked at 2,635 US Support Activities for Water Transportation business locations in 2023, down 1.9% from 2022. That is 0.07% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Support Activities for Water Transportation?
$88,635 a year per employee in 2023, from $9.0 billion in annual payroll (up 3.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Support Activities for Water Transportation jobs?
California had the most, with 22,383 employees in 2023, followed by Florida (10,471) and Texas (10,150).
Which metro areas have the most Support Activities for Water Transportation jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (7,125), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (5,907), Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (5,658) had the most Support Activities for Water Transportation employees in 2023.
Are most Support Activities for Water Transportation businesses small?
79.3% of the 2,635 Support Activities for Water Transportation business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 30 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.